Tastes

I'd wanted to try this ever since I passed the distillery and made my way through the heather-dappled Cairngorms on a rainy August afternoon. Sure enough, on the nose is unmistakeable heather, just as it was rumored, with further aromas of wild flowers, lemon curd, a touch of apple cider, and underlying sweet hay. The palate is malty sweet and full of Manuka honey; nutty, hints of shortbread, and slightly smoky towards the back. Finishing simply and warming mildly, this dram is easygoing and summery. Poured at Brocach on Monroe; paired with Brie curds with raspberry peppercorn jam and lobster bisque with rye croutons. More so 3.5 than 3 stars.

The first impression from the nose is of one of my favorite granola recipes—baked with a touch of honey, orange zest, and coconut; the longer it sits the more spiceful it becomes, with a more careful nosing presenting notes of creamy banana and aromatic sweet tobacco. If your nose leads you to believe you're taking a sticky-sweet and spicy sherried malt, the initial taste quickly recalls one's attention to the fact that this is the work of a seaside distillery—I taste notes of musty, sea-sprayed driftwood in addition to the crystallized ginger, more candied orange peel, treacle, and toasted Brazil nuts. The body is tart and wood driven and offers sweet and spicy overtones, being fruitier and less savory than its Springbank kin; this dram sports a hot, drying, and almost eternal finish. The empty decanter smells like the first whiff of fine tobacco, right after popping open the tin.

Pours a spectacular ruby hue; the aroma is unlike any I've ever taken in — plump red wine grapes, clove and other woodland spices, vintage leather, and candied orange peel; the first sip reveals mouthwatering mince pie and soon becomes a tannic burn; as it opens up salted pecans and burnt sugar come to the aid of the pleasantly musty midsection; the finish is violent, as one can expect at 114 proof, but amazingly you are still interacting with the complex palate and the menthol-medicinal aftertaste even five minutes after that initial swallow; this out-of-my-league glass of a rare blend of New Zealand malt and grain is the Ares of the whisk(e)y world — I doubt I'll ever have something so special again. (But if I do I'll add a few drops of water.) Update: With water, the palate is a frontal flood of red fruit and vanilla, while toward the back clove and nutmeg dominate. That bellicose finish is luxurious and woody.

Nice color, with cidery, drying aromas of blood orange and orchard fruits; I taste sweet cereal and tart berries, white pepper and citrus chocolate — all enveloped by a balanced oakiness; the finish is fruity, with drying tannins; berries stay for the otherwise oak-driven aftertaste. If lacking in complexity, the storied, rich oak in this dram is just phenomenal.

The dram is straw-like gold in its appearance and its nose is similarly light in tone — poignantly tart pear is the first emphatic aroma, followed by salt and rich maltiness; as it continues to lift hibiscus comes to mind; the palate presents salted butter, spiced muesli, dried seaweed, and hints of caramel; the pleasant burn comes rather quickly to enhance the flavors, while the finish boasts old oak; the next inhale is like the chilly air of an ancient forest; further in, the bourbon influence makes itself known subtly but elegantly with sweet smokiness. Floral and malty aftertaste. Less remarkable than its Ledaig cousin, but contentedly unrefined, wild, and still altogether splendid. Thanks for sharing, Alex.

Depth and richness of color; plum, honey, vanilla, and fresh apple juice make up the enticing aroma (my wife smells vanilla wafers and she's looking quite fine this New Year's Eve); the taste is malty and sweet, with baked apples and their accompanying spices — the primary aspects are ripening fruit and cereals, as evident on the nose and the palate; in both mouthfeel and taste this one has a dominant winey quality, but it's balanced out by the malt presence. Overall very good, a trustworthy regular dram.

It took me five minutes to pinpoint it, but the initial nosing reminded me precisely of Chileta Piña, a Mexican pineapple candy with chile powder; on the palate is more tropical fruit, golden raisins, Deglet Noor dates, and light brown sugar; next, there is a forward salt-and-spice aspect and an earthy edge of peat; the mouthfeel is warm and creamy; it finishes sweet and brings lemon poppyseed muffins to mind; finesse and balance are the trademarks here—I tend not to prefer cloying Scotch, and despite the consensus I don't find this one overly sweet. Very well crafted.

The sweet and savory Laphroaig Triple Wood tastes like a raisin that has been thrown into a smoldering peat fire, rescued just prior to its explosion, and eaten on top of a salted dark cherry tart. Cereal, spices, pistachios, and a puckering sherry quality as the final feature of the impressive palate. Iodine and malt on the finish. Cheers to heavy-handed pours in Manchester.

Uncorked this one tonight for the first time and poured a lively russet liquid into my glass; the aroma took a while to lift from the glass but once it did, I smelled sour brininess, salted pecan, the inside of my Fossil messenger bag, and lighter notes of vanilla and plantains; it delivers a nice maritime feeling with the first taste, and along with more leather I taste smoked trout and leeks, sour cherries, frangipane, rooibos, and cinnamon candy—overall the mosaic palate of this dram reminds me of a sweet red onion jam; the mouthfeel is chewy and astringent, leading to a sherry stickiness; splendid cinnamon finish with an aftertaste full of malt, gentle peat, sea salt, and cough syrup; an involving, enveloping experience altogether that I look forward to exploring more! Update: I'm about halfway through this precious bottle, and — having mellowed out only slightly on the front end and being yet more voluptuous on the finish — I can say that this is my favorite single malt Scotch to date.

Peat and seaweed are the first scents to waft out of the glass, with sweeter hickory smoke and vanilla accompanying them; on the tongue, the tar-like peat gives way to allspice (sweet and savory), salt, and tropical fruit—starfruit comes to mind—this peat and fruit marriage is the most spectacular aspect of the dram; the enduring finish is full of peppercorn and mint; cereal, peat smoke, and fresh mint stay for the aftertaste. An excellent Islay malt—cheers to my wife on her birthday, whose tasting note for this one was, 'Tastes like a giant charcoal world.'